Star Raiders (1982)(w pages 11,12)(U)

0039

INSERTING THE GAME CARTRIDGE

To Insert your ATARI 5200 game cartridge, hold the cartridge so the
name on the label faces you and reads right-side-up. Carefully Insert
the cartridge Into the slot In the center of the console. Be sure the car-
tridge is firmly seated, but do not force it The POWER ON/OFF switch Is
located on the lower right side of the ATARI 5200, Press this switch to turn
the power on after inserting your game cartridge. See your Owner’s
Manual lor further information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. A Word From Commander Champion 1

2. Your Flight Simulation Training 5

3.

Using the 5200™ Controller

9

4.

Speed Mode

12

5.

Control Mode

13

6.

Energy Drain

23

7.

Starship Damage

25

8.

Starbase Docking

27

9.

Rating

29

10.

Mission Skill Levels

30

IT.

Training Mission

31

12 .

Survival Tactics

33

13.

Scorecard

35

OPERATION

1 . A WORD FROM

COMMANDER CHAMPION

Welcome, cadets, to Federation
Field. I'm Commander Cham-
pion, your space flight instruc-
tor. You'll be stationed here for
some intensive starship flight
simulation and computer train-
ing. When you've successfully
completed your training mis-
sion. you'll win your Novice star
and a commission In the Earth
Federation's most elite fighting
unit ... the Star Raiders™.

We Star Raiders have a long,
distinguished tradition of service
to the Earth Federation and the
Galaxy. Since the year 2010
we've policed the space routes,
enforcing freedom of space
and peaceful coexistence of
the solar systems. Thanks to the
Star Raiders, there hasn't been
a major space war since then.
Space trade flourishes and the
Earth Federation prospers.

Now, just as we're beginning to
think peace will put the Star
Raiders out of business, the
Zylons ... that rabble of half-life
barbarians from Alpha Solar ...
turn to space piracy and ter-

WIPEOUT!

rorism. Their object is to break
up the Federation's space trade
and weaken its influence in the
Galaxy. Space Security has
issued "cease and desist"
orders to no avail. Zylon
responds by hijacking our
spacecraft and terrorizing star-
bases that harbor them. They've
pushed us to the limit. Let's rid
the Galaxy of this pest once
and for all!

Your mission is to SEEK OUT Zylon
combat ships in every sector of
the Galaxy and DESTROY THEM
ON SIGHT. For this job we've
given you the ultimate in sophis-
ticated fighter craft. Your star-
ship Is equipped with high-
power photon torpedoes, twin
ion engines, and dual hyper-
warp engines that transport you
instantly to the furthest reaches
of the Galaxy.

Your computer instrumentation
surpasses state-of-the-art, It In-
cludes a Galactic Chart with
real-time updating. Long-Range
Sector Scan for pinpoint
targeting, and the most ad-

vanced Attack Computer ever
devised for locking on the
target and homing in for the kill.

How does your starship com-
pare with Zylon spacecraft? So
far, Space Intelligence has pro-
files of three Zylon combat
spacecraft:

Zylon Fighter - Designed for
high-speed attacks, these ships
can be deadly at close range.

Zylon Cruisers - These are patrol
ships and attack only in self-
defense. But don't let their
defensive posture fool you;
they'll give you plenty of
trouble.

Zylon Basestar - Like our star-
ships. Zylon basestars are
equipped with shields to deflect
photon torpedoes and can only
be destroyed at close range.
These are probably the trickiest
of the Zylon fighter craft.
Approach them with extreme
caution.

Code name for this operation is
WIPEOUT. You'll be launched on
your first WPEOUT mission as
soon as you win your Novice
star. To complete your mission,
you must destroy all Zylon
targets.

In a pinch, you can dock at a
friendly starbase to energize
and repair your starship, but be
prepared for trouble. Once

Zylon Basestar

WPEOUT gets underway, we ex-
pect Zylon to surround and at-
tempt to destroy all starbases
that harbor our starships. Pre-
vent this at all costsl Remember,
with every starbase destroyed,
our position In the Galaxy grows
weaker and the Zylon menace
grows stronger.

At the end of each mission, Mis-
sion Control will evaluate your
performance and rate you on
five factors:

■ Skill level (NOVICE, PILOT,
WARRIOR, COMMANDER).

■ Number of enemy starships
destroyed.

■ Amount of energy used.

■ Length of time taken to com-
plete the mission.

■ Number of starbases
destroyed.

Promotions are based solely on
ratings ... there are no shortcuts
to success in the Star Raiders.
You start as ROOKIES, but in no
time at all you'll make ENSIGN
and then PILOT. After that the
going gets rough. Don't be sur-
prised If your first Pilot mission
ends with a demotion to
GALACTIC COOK or GARBAGE
SCOW CAPTAIN. This is a tough
service! But you've got the stuff
to make it. Some of you may
even be WARRIOR material.

We'll tell you if you are. As for
STAR COMMANDER, few ever
make it, but who knows? The
next one might be you.

Go to it and good luckl Or as
we say In the Star Raiders.
"Shields up and lock on target."

2. YOUR FLIGHT SIMULATION TRAINING

Your flight training program
teaches you how to pilot a star-
ship. find and destroy the
enemy, dock at a starbase to
energize and repair your star-
ship, and above all, survive in
space. The training sessions are
coordinated with your manual,
so be sure you read it thor-
oughly, cover to cover.

In a minute I'm going to show
you your starship simulation
chamber and we'll "lift off" into
space. Then you'll find out how
to handle your 5200 controller,
which controls every function of
your starship ( Section 3). I'll
check you out on the Speed
Mode and Control Mode push-
button controls ( Sections 4 and
5) and teach you to use the
following starship equipment:

■ Shields

■ Attack Computer

■ Galactic Chart

■ Hyperwarp Engines

■ Photon Torpedoes

■ Control Panel Display

■ Long-Range Sector Scan

■ Manual Target Selector

■ Tracking Computer

■ Subspace Radio.

We'll discuss energy drain (Sec-
tion 6) and what to do when
your starship is damaged (Sec-
tion 7). Then you'll practice
docking at a starbase to

energize and repair your star-
ship [Section 8).

I'll explain how Mission Control
rates your performance at the
end of each mission and
decides what rank to promote
(or demote) you to (Section 9).
Next you'll get a briefing on
what to expect at the four skill
levels: NOVICE, PILOT, WARRIOR
and COMMANDER [Section 10],

you pay attention to the lectures
on SURVIVAL TACTICS [Section 12).
At the end of the manual we've
provided a SCORECARD so you
can keep track of your progress.

That's the program. Now follow
me and I'll show you your star-
ship simulator.

STARSHIP

SIMULATOR

This Is your starship simulation^
chamber. It's as close to a star-
ship as you will get until you
earn your Novice star. But don't
underestimate it. Down to the
last detail. It’s exactly like a star-
ship. We call It STAR CRUISER 7.

Step inside and climb into the
cockpit In front of the ATARI
5200 console. Insert the STAR
RAIDERS cartridge, which con-
tains the simulation program.

Into the console cartridge slot
(see Inside front cover for direc-
tions). Now turn on the televi-
sion, your window into space.
Turn up the volume so you can
experience the audio as well as
visual effects of space flight,

Attach the keypad overlay to
the ATARI 5200 controller and
plug the controller into Jack 1
on the front of the console. Your
5200 controller is an exact
duplicate of a real starship con-
troller. It's an incredible device.
With this little controller in hand,
you command every function of
STAR CRUISER 7, from engines to
photon torpedoes.

Get ready for liftoff. Buckle your
seat belt and strap yourself into
your G-force harness before we
power on the simulator. (G-force
is the gravitational force to
which a body is subjected dur-
ing acceleration.)

Ready?

Power on by pressing the POWER
switch on the 5200 console unit,
When the ATARI logo appears
on your screen, start the count-
down: 5. 4. 3, 2. 1. UFTOFFI

Star Cruiser 7 is launched into
space when NOVICE MISSION
flashes on the screen ( Figure /).
Stars and meteors whiz past
your starship as you cruise for-
ward at a comfortable speed
of 12 metrons per second.
(Metrons per second is an Earth
Federation unit of space-time
for speeds above 186.000 miles
per second, the speed of light.)

Meteor

Figure 1 - Forward (Fore) View
of Space

$

3. USING THE 5200'” CONTROLLER

With the 5200 controller ( Figure
2) you'll pilot Star Cruiser 7. con-
trol both Twin Ion and Hyper-
warp engines, call up computer
displays, track the enemy, tire
your photon missiles, and dock
at a starbase. We'll take a look
at the control stick (sometimes
called a joystick) in a minute,
Now let's talk about control keys.

KEYPAD OVERLAYS

For your convenience, two
keypad overlays are provided
[Figure 3). Slip the overlay tabs
into the slots above and below
the keypad on the controller.

CONTROL KEYS

■ START: Brings up the Control
Panel Display and starts the
action (see Figure 4). Use
START to start a new mission at
the same skill level.

Figure 2 ■ Controller

Figure 4 - START Starts the Action

Figure 3 - Overlay

■ PAUSE Freezes action tem-
porarily. Press again to con-
tinue.

NOTE: It PAUSE Is on longer than
8 minutes, the computer will cy-
cle colors on the television
screen to prevent "bum In” of
static images.

■ RESET: Resets STAR RAIDERS to
the beginning at NOVICE MIS-
SION skill level (see Figure 1).

■ GAME SELECT (#): After power-
ing on, press the GAME SELECT
key (#) to change the mission
skill level. Thereafter, press
RESET once before GAME
SELECT to change the skill
level. Hold in GAME SELECT to
cycle through the skill levels.

This key functions as the CON-
TROL MODE key after you press
START. We'll discuss the Control
Mode In Section 5.

■ SPEED MODE( *):Once you've
pressed START, this key puts
your starship into Speed
Mode, discussed in Section 4.
This key has no function until
you press START.

CONTROL STICK
OPERATION

The control stick rotates 360
degrees and handles your star-
ship with ease. In the Fore View
(forward view of space) the
control stick operates as shown

in Figure 5 A. In the Aft View
(back view of space) operation
is reversed ( Figure 5 B). You'll
learn how to switch from Fore
View to Aft View In Section 5 ■
CONTROL MODE.

Turn/Rotate
(( o ► Starboard
(Right)

A. Fore View Control

Turn/Rotate

Starboard -« ( (( O )) ) ► (
(Right) VW*/ 1

* T

Dive

B. Aft View Control

C. Thrust Rates

Figure 5 - Control Stick
Operation

to

5. CONTROL MODE

Mi/

When your starship is in Control
Mode, all the number keys on
your keypad operate starship
equipment or program modes
of operation ( Figure 7).

View is the view of space
from the aft or back space
window. Stars and meteors
appear to recede into the
distance as your starship
moves forward.

Figure 7 ■ Control Mode Keys

Try this:

1. After START, press the CON-
TROL MODE key ( # ).

2. Press the AFT VIEW key (2): AFT
VIEW appears at the top of
the television screen. The Aft

3. Press the FORE VIEW key (1) to
restore the Fore View of
space [ Figure f).

Now let's look at the starship
equipment operated in Control
Mode.

SHIELDS

Before you set out on a mission,
press the SHIELDS key (6) and
turn on your shields. SHIELDS ON
appears momentarily at the top
of your screen and space looks
blue.

With shields on, your starship
can never be destroyed by
enemy photon torpedoes or
meteors ... unless, of course, it
hyperwarps into a meteor.
Without shields, it hasn't a
snowball's chance. At NOVICE
skill level, shields prevent your
starship from being damaged.
At all other skill levels, shields
give protection but do not pre-
vent damage. (See Section 7 -
STARSHIP DAMAGE for more In-
formation.)

To turn off the shields, press
SHIELDS (6) again. SHIELDS OFF

A

appears at the top of the Zylon spaceships are identified

screen and space looks black. as follows:

ATTACK COMPUTER

Your next move Is to turn on
your Attack Computer, Press the
ATTACK key (7). ATTACK COM-
PUTER ON appears momentarily
at the top of the screen, along
with the target crosshairs and
the Attack Computer Display
[Figure 8). In the Aft View, only
the target crosshairs appear;
there is no Attack Computer
Display.

Use the Attack Computer
Display to track enemy targets
(see PHOTON TORPEDOES], star-
bases [Section 8 - STARBASE
DOCKING ), and meteors (Sec-
/ton 12 - SURVIVAL TACTICS ).

To turn off the Attack Computer
Display, press the ATTACK key (7)
again. ATTACK COMPUTER OFF
appears at the top of the
screen.

GALACTIC CHART

After turning on your shields and
the Attack Computer, press the
GALACTIC CHART key (4) to
display the Galactic Chart and
target data [Figure 9A), The
chart shows you the whole
galaxy, divided into sectors.
Some sectors contain enemy
spacecraft and friendly star-
bases; others are uninhabited.
Starbases are indicated by £i ,

Jh = patrol consisting of two
enemy ships

• ' ' = task force of three enemy
“ ships

-- = fleet of four enemy ships.

Figure 9A ■ Galactic Chart

14

Figure 98 • Cursor Control
Speeds

MARKING THE TARGET
Choose an enemy target sector.
With the control stick, move the
cursor ( + ) from its position In
the center of the chart to the
target sector. Note that a blink-
ing ring ( $ ) remains in the
center. The ring marks the sec-
tor you move from; the cursor
marks the sector you move to.

You can move the cursor from
sector to sector at fast or slow
speed, os shown in Figure 9B:

■ Slow: Keep the control stick
close to center.

■ Fast: Push the stick as far as
possible In the direction you
want the cursor to move.

■ Stop: Center the control stick.

NOTE: The cursor can "wrap"
around the Galactic Chart ver-
tically and horizontally. For ex-
ample, it can leave the Galac-
tic Chart at the bottom and
reappear at the top. or leave
the chart at the right side and
reappear at the left side.

Which sector should you
choose?

A two-ship patrol is the easiest
target to begin with, but there
are other considerations:

Warp Energy-. You must hyper-
warp from sector to sector, and
that uses up a lot of energy. The
further the target, the more
energy you use. In general, it Is
more economical to cover the
Galactic Chart in short jumps.
We'll go Into energy drain more
thoroughly in Section 6.

Enemy Position: Zylon ships con-
stantly shift sectors In an effort to
surround and destroy starbases.
You will save yourself a lot of
grief if you go after targets that
are in dangerous positions, such
as next to a starbase.

STARBASE SURROUNDED
Your subspace radio will flash
STARBASE SURROUNDED on your
screen when Zylon combat
ships surround a starbase. After
the warning, you have 1 minute
to clear enemy ships from a
sector next to the starbase and
save the base. If Zylon succeeds
in destroying the starbase. you
will lose a vital energy and
repair port, and Zylon will build
two new combat ships out of
the starbase debris.

Figure 10 shows the enemy
positions required for a starbase
to be surrounded.

NOTE: THE ZYLON FLEET WILL AT-
TEMPT TO SURROUND AND DE-
STROY ONLY ONE STARBASE AT A
TIME.

puter. L = Long-Range Scan,

R = Subspace Radio. Status of
the equipment is shown by the
color of the letter:

The Zylons will shift sectors at dif-
ferent rates, depending on their
size. A patrol will move the
fastest, a task force at half the
speed of a patrol, and a fleet
at approximately 1/8 the speed
of a patrol.

TARGET DATA

When you have selected your
target, read the target data
under the Galactic Chart
(Figure 11).

WARP ENERGY: Number ot
energy units required to hyper-
warp to the sector selected,

TARGETS: Number of enemy
targets in the sector selected.

STAR DATE: Elapsed time during
a mission, measured in centons:
100 centons = 1 minute. The
enemy may jump from one sec-
tor to another when the STAR
DATE counter crosses .00 or ,50.

We will discuss starship damage
in more detail In Section 7.

■ ■■■■

amen

■■SUB

Figure lO ■ Starbase Surrounded

DGPESCLR: DC = Damage Con-
trol, P = Photon Torpedoes, E =
Engines, S = Shields, C = Com-

Flgure 11 ■ Target Data

HYPERWARP

The HYPERSPACE key (8) turns on
your Hyperwarp Engines, and
HYPERWARP ENGAGED appears
momentarily at the top of the
screen. Before you activate your
Hyperwarp Engines, however,
be sure the Attack Computer Is
on. You need the crosshairs for
navigating In hyperspace and
the Attack Computer Display for
tracking targets.

NAVIGATING IN HYPERSPACE

At NOVICE skill level, you do not
need to steer your starship. The
computer centers the Hyper-
warp Target Marker In the cross-
hairs and keeps the starship on
course (see Figure 12).

At PILOT, WARRIOR, and COM-
MANDER skill levels, you must
steer in hyperspace. Using the
control stick, keep the Hyper-
warp Target Marker centered In
the crosshairs. A light touch on
the control stick is recommend-
ed for steering.

peak velocity and volume. Press
the HYPERSPACE key (8) now and
listen to the engines so you will
recognize peak level when
you're in hyperspace.

NOTE: The further the distance
between sectors, the harder It Is
to stay on course In hyper-

Flgure 12 ■ Hyperwarp Engaged

You must get the target marker
centered in the crosshairs by
the time HYPERSPACE or HYPER-
WARP COMPLETE flashes on the
screen: otherwise you will be off
course and out of your target
sector. Just before hyperwarp is
completed, the engines reach

ENTERING A SECTOR
When you enter a sector oc-
cupied by Zylon combat ships,
the computer flashes HYPER-
SPACE and sounds the RED
ALERT, Note that a target
marker, showing the position ot
the target relative to your star-
ship, appears in the Attack
Computer Display ( Figure 13A).

When you enter a sector with a
starbase in it, HYPERWARP COM-
PLETE flashes at the top of your
screen and a target marker,
showing the position of the star-
base, appears in the Attack
Computer Display ( Figure 13B.)

When you enter an empty tar-
get sector, HYPERWARP COM-
PLETE flashes on the screen but
there is no target marker in the
Attack Computer Display ( Figure
73C). Return to the Galactic
Chart and correct your position.

HYPERWARP ABORT

If you're in hyperwarp when you
get a STARBASE SURROUNDED
message, abort hyperwarp and
return to the Galactic Chart to
see which starbase is in trouble.
To abort hyperwarp, press the
ABORT (O) key. When HYPER-
WARP ABORTED appears on
your screen, press the GALACTIC
CHART key (4).

Target Marker — '
Figure 13A- RED ALERT

Figure 7 38 - Starbase Sector

Figure 73C - Empty Sector

PHOTON TORPEDOES

A photon torpedo is a burst of
concentrated energy that can
completely destroy an enemy
spaceship, meteor, or another
photon torpedo. As long as you
have energy, you never run out
of torpedoes, but each time you
fire. 10 units of energy are used
up. If you hit another photon
torpedo head on. 100 units of
energy are used up (see Section
6 - ENERGY DRAIN). Obviously,
then, you should make each
photon torpedo count and not
fire randomly.

Your starship is equipped with
two torpedo launchers, on the
port and starboard sides. You
can only fire one torpedo at a
time, except when the Attack
Computer locks your torpedoes
onto the target; then the fire
button launches both photon
torpedoes simultaneously.

Lock-on occurs when the target
marker is centered In the Attack
Computer Display and the hori-
zontal (©) and vertical «J>)
coordinates in the Control Panel
Display read +00. In Figure 14.
the lines labeled "A" show that
the computer is locked on in the
horizontal coordinate; those
labeled "B" show that the com-
puter Is locked on In the vertical
coordinate. When the marks
designated "C" appear, the
computer is locked on in both
coordinates and the target is

within range. This is the best
time to fire; you have a 90% kill
probability at this time,

Figure 14 - Target Locked On
and Within Range

NOTE: Of course you can hit the
enemy without locking on your
torpedoes, but you use up more
energy.

When you hit a target (enemy
ship, space object, or photon
torpedo) it explodes into silver
particles ( Figure 15). If your
target is a Zylon fighter or
cruiser, your hit destroys it and
the computer credits you with a
kill (see CONTROL PANEL DIS-
PLAY). If it's a Zylon basestar. a
hit does not always destroy it.
Basestars are protected by
shields and can only be de-
stroyed by a direct hit.

When an enemy ship hits your
starship (with shields on), the
screen flashes red and blue.
(Colors may vary with the set-

tings of your television set.) If
your ship is damaged, DAMAGE
CONTROL sounds a warning
and flashes a message on your
screen telling you what equip-
ment has been damaged or
destroyed (see Section 7 - STAR-
SHIP DAMAGE ).

After you have wiped out all
Zylon spacecraft in a sector, the
target marker In the Attack
Computer Display disappears.
Return to the Galactic Chart
and select another sector,

CONTROL PANEL DISPLAY

The Control Panel Display ap-
pears at the bottom of the
screen in the Fore. Aft. and
Long-Range Views. The display
shown In Figure 16 is Interpreted
as follows:

Figure 15 - Zylon Ship Hit

V:12 - Velocity is 12 metrons
per second.

K:18 - So far you have 18 kills
to your credit.

E:8260 -You have 8260 energy
units left (out of 9999
units at mission start).

T:2 - The Attack Computer is
currently tracking
Target 2. which is a star-
base; T:0 or T:1 would
be an enemy target,
and T:3 would be hyper-
space. When the Track-

Figure 16 ■ Control Panel Display

ing Computer Is on. T
changes to C.

© :+12 - In the horizontal coor-
dinate. your starship is
off target by + 12
gradons (see Note).

<J) :+10 - In the vertical coor-
dinate. your starship is
off target by +10
gradons.

20

r

R:+236- The target is 236 cen-
trons in front of your
starship (see Note). If R
were —236. the target
would be 236 centrons
behind your starship.

NOTE: Angles are measured in
gradons [0 - 99 gradons).
Distance is measured in
metrons; 100 metrons = 1 cen-
tron.

LONG-RANGE SECTOR
SCAN

When there's a target marker in
the Attack Computer Display
but you can't seem to find the
target, use the Long-Range Sec-
tor Scan ( Figure 17). Press the
SCAN key (3).

Starship Target

Figure 17 ■ Long-Range Sector
Scan

The Long-Range Sector Scan
shows you a top view of the sec-
tor your starship Is In. In Figure
17, your ship is In the center and
all objects In the sector rotate
around It. To use the sector

1. Select a target.

2. Move the control stick to the
left until the target is directly
in front of you.

3. Move the control stick for-
ward or back, depending on
the position of the target, un-
til the target is as far above
your starship as possible.

4. Enter Speed Mode ( # ) and
use your engines to ap-
proach the target. Select a
moderate SPEED key (3. 4, or

5).

5. Minor course corrections
may be needed as you ap-
proach the target. Repeat
steps 2 and 3 If required.

6. When the target is very close
to your starship, press the O
key to stop the engines.

7. The target should now be
visible in the Fore View. Press
the CONTROL MODE key ( # ).
then the FORE VIEW key (1).

21

MANUAL TARGET
SELECTOR

When more than one Zylon ship
is attacking, the Attack Com-
puter decides which tcrget to
track and display. The com-
puter selects a target at ran-
dom unless you are In a space
duel, in which case it selects the
target that is shooting at you.

If you wish to select a different
target, press the MANUAL key (9)
to override the computer and
call up the Manual Target
Selector. Normally only two
Zylons attack at the same time.
The Control Panel shows them
as T:0 and T:l, target 0 and
target 1. If T:0 is displayed,
pressing the MANUAL key
automatically selects T:1 and

To return to automatic target
selection, press the MANUAL key
(9) again,

TRACKING COMPUTER

The Tracking Computer
automatically tracks the
selected target as it moves from
fore to aft of your starship. The
television screen switches be -
tween Fore and Aft views as the
Tracking Computer tracks the
target. Press the TRACKING key
(5) to turn on the Tracking Com-
puter, COMPUTER TRACKING ON

appears momentarily at the top
of the screen and the Aft View is
displayed. To turn off the Track-
ing Computer, press the TRACK-
ING key (5) again. TRACKING
OFF will be displayed at the top
of the screen. Note that if you
switch off the Tracking Com-
puter in the Aft View, you must
press the FORE VIEW key (1) to
restore the forward view of
space.

WARNINGI This mode should be
used by experienced space
pilots only. It is possible to get
caught in the cross-fire of two I
enemy ships, one in front and
the other behind your starship.

As they alternately fire at you,
the computer will constantly
switch between Fore and Aft
views, so fast that only exper-
ienced Star Raiders are able
to survive.

SUBSPACE RADIO

The Subspace Radio is used to
update the Galactic Chart and
relay the messages STARBASE
SURROUNDED and STARBASE
DESTROYED, It also generates
the TARGETS display below the
Galactic Chart.

*

22

6. ENERGY DRAIN

Your starship has 9999 units of
energy at the start of each mis-
sion. Each operation drains
some of this energy. Note that
the faster your starship travels,
the more energy you use. In

terms of the tradeoff between
energy drain and distance
covered, speed 6 (velocity = 12
metrons per second) Is the most
efficient speed.

Operation Energy Drain (units)

Abort Hyperwarp

100

Each enemy photon hit

100

Each photon torpedo fired

10

Shields up

2 units per second

Attack Computer on

V 2 unit per second

Life Support System (always on)

Vi unit per second

Twin Ion Engines

|Sp<*d|

»

{ 2

3

3

Energy Drain/Second

(units).

»

' *

2

2.5

Twin Ion Engines

5

m\ 3

8

II’

Energy Drain /Second

(units).

3

3.5 7.5

11.25

.5

23

The longer the hyperwarp jump,
the greater the energy drain.
Jumps of five sectors or more
are very costly. If you must go a
long distance, try to do It in
several small jumps Instead of
one long Jump.

When energy falls below 1000
units, the Control Panel Display
flashes a red warning. You can
refuel at any starbase provided
your starship has the energy to
get there, See Section 8 - STAR-

BASE DOCKING for refueling in-
structions. If you run out of
energy. Mission Control will
abort your mission and recall
you to base,

RETURN TO
BASE

Hyperwarp Distance

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

Energy Drain Per Jump

130 160 200 230 500 700 800

900

Hyperwarp Distance

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16

Energy Drain Per Jump

4200 '12S0 (300 1350 1400 1550 1700

1840

Hyperwarp Distance

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Energy Drain Per Jump

2000 2080 2160 2230 2320 2410 2500

1

7. STARSHIP DAMAGE

DAMAGE CONTROL flashes a
message on your screen when
any of these units Is damaged
or destroyed:

■ Photon Torpedoes

■ Twin Ion Engines

■ Shields

■ Attack Computer

■ Long-Range Scan

■ Subspace Radio.

In addition, the Damage Con-
trol indicator below the Galac-
tic Chart ( Figure IB) keeps track
of equipment that Is damaged
or destroyed:

DC = Damage Control. P =
photon torpedoes, E = engines.
S = shields, C = attack com-
puter, L = long-range scan,
and R = subspace radio, A
yellow letter means equipment
damaged; a red letter means
equipment destroyed.

PHOTON TORPEDOES

When your photon torpedoes
are damaged, only one
operates, but you can continue
your mission. When they are
destroyed, your position is
suicidal, Get out of the target
sector fast, find a starbase on
the Galactic Chart, and hyper-
warp to it for repairs. (See Sec-
Won 8 - STARBASE [KICKING .)

Figure 18 - Damage Control
Indicator

TWIN ION ENGINES

Your engines will work when
damaged, thanks to a backup
impulse system; however, pro-
gress will be slow. If your
engines are destroyed, your
speed will be very slow and
your starship will be extremely
vulnerable. You can, however,
use the hyperwarp engines to
move within a sector. Press the
O key and abort hyperwarp
when you are close to the
target (see Hyperwarp Abort In
Section 5). Better yet. dock at a
starbase for repairs.

25

SHIELDS

Shields will flicker when dam-
aged, and the Control Panel
Display and Galactic Chart will
turn yellow. If you take a hit
when your shields have
flickered off. you will be
destroyed In a blinding flash.
Don't take chances. When your
shields are damaged, get out
of the target sector fast and
hyperwarp to the closest star-
base. {See Section 12 - SURVIVAL
TACTICS for some tips.)

ATTACK COMPUTER

When the computer Is damag-
ed, © . © and R in the Control
Panel Display are lost. When
your computer is destroyed, all
computer functions cease: the
Manual Target Selector and
Tracking Computer do not func-
tion, and the target crosshairs
and Attack Computer Display
disappear. It will be extremely
difficult to steer In hyperspace
and dock at a starbase without
the crosshairs and Attack Com-
puter Display, but you can do it.
See Section 12 ■ SURVIVAL TAC-
TICS for help.

LONG-RANGE SCAN

Damage to the Long-Range
Scan causes a mirror Image of
every object being scanned,
and you will have to distinguish
between the real object and its
reflection. Select a target and
follow steps 2, 3, and 4 in the
Long-Range Scan Instructions
[Section 5). If the target moves
away from you instead of
toward you. It's the reflection.

SUBSPACE RADIO

If the Subspace Radio Is
damaged, the Galactic Chart
will not be updated. However,
moving the cursor around the
Galactic Chart will update the
TARGETS Indicator below the
Galactic Chart and show you
the number of enemy targets In
each sector.

If the radio is destroyed, you're
in big trouble. No starbase
messages will be relayed, so
you will not know when a star-
base is surrounded. Hyperwarp
to a starbase and repair your
radio at once.

& * ^

26

8. STARBASE DOCKING i

When your energy supply falls
below 1000 units or your starship
needs repairs, return to the
Galactic Chart and find a star-
base. Position the cursor in the
center of the starbase sector
( ). The closer the cursor is to
the center, the closer your star-
ship will be to the starbase.
Engage hyperwarp by pressing
the HYPERSPACE key (8). If you
are on course when HYPERWARP
COMPLETE flashes on your
screen, a target marker should
appear In the Attack Computer
Display. Proceed as follows:

1. Center the target marker in
the Attack Computer Display.

2. Check the range (R) of the
starbase on the Control Panel
Display. You want the star-
base in front of you, not
behind you, so the range in-
dicator should read +. If it
reads -. move the control
stick toward you or away
from you. as required, to
change the range reading to
a + value.

3. Adjust your position horizon-
tally. Move the control stick
right or left, as required, until
the ® coordinate in the
Control Panel Display reads

4. Adjust your position vertically.
Move the control stick for-
ward or back, as required,
until the coordinate
reads + or —3.

5. Bring the starbase within
range: Press the SPEED MODE
key ( * ) and select an ap-
propriate SPEED key, depend-
ing upon how far away you
are. Decrease your speed as
you approach the starbase.
When R is +000. press SPEED
key O to stop your engines.

6. When you have the starbase
locked on, ORBIT ESTABLISHED
should appear momentarily
on your screen [Figure I9A). If
it does not appear, adjust
your position and range
slightly.

7. When orbit is established, you
will receive a message to
STANDBY while the Transfer
Vessel leaves the starbase
and services your starship
[Figure 19B). When TRANSFER
COMPLETE appears, your star-
ship is ready to hyperwarp to
another sector. Re-enter Con-
trol Mode [ # ) and return to
the Galactic Chart.

27

NOTE: If you hit a key or move
the control stick before docking
is completed, DOCKING
ABORTED will appear on the
screen. Adjust your position and
range, as required, to bring
back ORBIT ESTABLISHED.

TRANSFER

COMPLETE

Figure I9A ■ Starbase Docking

STARBASE DESTROYED

If Zylon destroys your starbase
while you are attempting a
docking, you will find yourself in
enemy-occupied territory and
under attack by two new
enemy ships created from the
starbase debris, If your starship
Is in shape to fight, you can
engage and destroy the enemy
before you leave the sector. The

Figure 19B ■ Energy Transfer

target marker remains in the At-
tack Computer Display after the
starbase Is destroyed so you
can track the enemy. If you're
not in a position to fight your
way out of the sector, re-enter
Control Mode and return to the
Galactic Chart to find another
starbase.

28

9. RATING

A mission ends when ...

■ You destroy oil enemy targets
and complete your mission.

■ You run out of energy ond
your mission is aborted.

■ Your starship is destroyed.

No matter how your mission
ends, you will receive a rating
on your performance ... a post-
humous rating if your starship is
destroyed.

mm//

Mission Control bases each

rating on the following factors:

■ Mission skill level

■ Number of enemy combat
ships destroyed

■ Amount of energy used

■ Length of time taken to com-
plete mission

■ Number of starbases
destroyed.

Here's the formula:

M + 6 (No. of enemy destroyed) - energy used/ 100

— Length of time taken/100 — 18 (No, starbases Zylon destroyed)

— 3 (No. of starbases you destroyed),

where M is a mission factor
determined as follows:

29

Note that the formula penalizes Rank M , ss|on Score

you more for allowing Zylon to
destroy a starbase than for
destroying one yourself. I'll have
more to say about that when
we study survival tactics in Sec-
tion 12.

Your NEW RANK is displayed at
the top of the television screen
by rank and class. There are
five classes per rank, Class 1
being the highest and Class 5
the lowest.

If you do not score at least 48
points on a mission, your new
rank will be GALACTIC COOK or
GARBAGE SCOW CAPTAIN. If you
can't do better than that, your

JO. MISSION SKILL LEVELS m M M /

ROOKIE

NOVICE

ENSIGN

PILOT

ACE

LIEUTENANT
WARRIOR
CAPTAIN
COMMANDER
STAR

48-79
80-111
112-143
144-175
176-191
192 - 207
208 - 223
224 - 239
240 - 271

mission skill level is too ad-
vanced for you. Switch to a
lower skill level and work your
way back up.

Any time your rating puts you on
a different skill level ... NOVICE,
PILOT, WARRIOR, or COM-
MANDER ... press RESET, then
GAME SELECT ( # ) and change
the skill level at the top of your
screen.

NOVICE LEVEL

■ 3 starbases

■ 9 enemy sectors with total of
27 enemy combat ships

■ With shields on, starship can-
not be damaged.

■ Computer steers during
hyperwarp.

PILOT LEVEL

■ 4 starbases

■ 12 enemy sectors with total of
36 enemy ships

■ Starship can be damaged
with shields on

■ Must steer during hyperwarp.

WARRIOR LEVEL

■ 5 starbases

■ 15 enemy sectors with total of
45 enemy ships

■ Starship can be damaged
with shields on.

30

■ Steering required during
hyperwarp

■ Enemy attacks are taster and
more devastating.

COMMANDER LEVEL

■ 6 starbases

■ 18 enemy sectors with 54
enemy ships

■ Starship can be damaged
with shields on

■ Steering required during
hyperwarp

■ Constant attacks under very
hazardous conditions.

COMMANDER missions are only
recommended for the most ex-
perienced Star Raiders.

1 1 . TRAINING MISSION m M i

This is itl Time to
solo. Complete this
training mission
with a rank higher
than ROOKIE to win your NOVICE
star and lull commission in the
Star Raiders. Here we go.

1 . If required, press RESET and
use the GAME SELECT key

( # ) to select NOVICE MIS-
SION.

2. Press START. Note that the
Control Panel Display ap-
pears.

3. Press the CONTROL MODE
key ( # ).

4. Press the SHIELDS key (6) to
turn on your shields.

5. Press the ATTACK key (7) to
turn on the Attack Com-
puter Display.

6. Press the GALACTIC CHART
key ( 4 ) to display the
Galactic Chart,

7. Move the cursor to an
enemy target sector. A two-
ship patrol is the easiest
target to start with, but your
first choice should be a
target that is threatening a
starbase.

8. Read the target data under
the Galactic Chart,

9. Press the FORE VIEW key (1)
to bring up the Attack Com-
puter Display.

10. Press the HYPERSPACE key (8)
to engage your hyperwarp
engines.

11. When RED ALERT flashes on
your screen, you've arrived
in the target sector.

31

12. Center the target marker in
the Attack Computer
Display. Remember that the
best time to tire Is when
your photon torpedoes are
locked onto the target.

13. Destroy all enemy targets In
the sector. When there's no
longer a target marker in
the Attack Computer
Display, you've completed
your task In the sector.

14. Return to the Galactic
Chart, select another sec-
tor. and repeat Steps 8
through 14 until you've
destroyed all the Zylon
ships.

REMINDER! You have just 1
minute to rescue a starbase
after your subspace radio
flashes STARBASE SURROUNDED.
If you are in hyperspace at the
time, abort (press ABORT or O)
and return to the Galactic
Chart. Select an enemy sector
next to the besieged starbase
and repeat steps 8 through 14.

STARBASE DOCKING

When the energy gauge in the
Control Panel Display drops
below 1000 and the Control
Panel flashes the red low-
energy warning, hyperwarp to
a starbase and energize your
starship:

1. If you're In hyperspace,
press the ABORT key (O).
then select the Galactic
Chart.

2. Move the cursor to the
center of a starbase sector.

3. Put your starship Into the
Fore View, then engage
your hyperwarp engines.

4. When HYPERWARP COM-
PLETE flashes on your screen
and the target marker
appears In the Attack Com-
puter Display, you've
arrived.

5. Using your control stick, get
the starbase in front of you
(R = a + value) and correct
your position until both O
and et> coordinates = + or

6. Press the SPEED MODE key

( * ). Select the appropriate
SPEED key and bring the
starbase into range. When
R = +000. press the O key
to stop your engines.

7. After establishing orbit, wait
for TRANSFER COMPLETE.
Then re-enter Control Mode
and return to the Galactic
Chart to select an enemy
target.

32

r

RATING

When your mission is ended,
you'll receive your rating.

Good news?

Congratulations! Prepare your
dress uniform tor graduation
and receive your Novice star.
You are now a full-fledged
member of the Star Raiders!

Bad news?

Don't be discouraged, Some of
the most famous Star Raiders
didn't win their stars the first
time. Try again. You'll do it next
time.

12. SURVIVAL TACTICS m M i /

Here are some survival tactics
that experienced Star Raiders
use to help them complete their
missions and earn a promotion.
If you have a few tips of your
own, tell your fellow Star
Raiders.

HOW TO MAKE A
FAST RETREAT

When your shields are de-
stroyed, the next enemy hit will
destroy your starship. To get out
of the sector fast, press the
HYPERSPACE key (8) and hyper-
warp out of the sector without
consulting the Galactic Chart.
When you're safe in an empty
sector, return to the Galactic
Chart and locate a starbase.

HOW TO REACH A
STARBASE FASTER

If you know there's a starbase
next to the enemy sector you're
in, you can hyperwarp directly
to the starbase sector without
using the Galactic Chart. In
hyperspace, move the Hyper-
space Target Marker to the
edge of the crosshair that points
in the direction of the starbase.

HOW TO FIND A
STARBASE WITHOUT
THE COMPUTER

How can you find a starbase
when your Attack Computer Dis-
play doesn't work? Here’s some
help:

33

Locale a starbase on the
Galactic Chart and engage
your hyperwarp engines. As you
enter hyperspace, note the
position of the Hyperspace
Target Marker and try not to
stray from that position.

When hyperwarp is completed,
press the SCAN key (3). If you're
In the starbase sector, the star-
base should be visible on the
Long-Range Sector Scan. If it is
not, return to the Galactic
Chart, correct your position,
and try again.

When you get the starbase on
the Long-Range Scan, center it
os Instructed In Section 5, LONG-
RANGE SECTOR SCAN. Then
press the FORE VIEW key [1), The
target should now be visible on
the screen.

LOW ON ENERGY?

If your energy supply threatens
to run out while you are trying to
dock at a starbase, turn off your
shields temporarily. This will save
2 units of energy per second
and may buy you enough time
to establish orbit and energize
your starship. Don't forget to turn
your shields back on before you
hyperwarp Into an enemy
sector,

WHEN TO SACRIFICE A
STARBASE

When you cannot save a star-
base. it is better to destroy it
yourself than let Zylon destroy It.
Mission Control doesn't penalize
you as much when you destroy
a starbase, because Zylon can-
not use the starbase debris to
build two new combat ships.

NEED A LITTLE TARGET
PRACTICE?

After you destroy a starbase,
the Attack Computer tracks
meteors in the starbase sector,
since there are no enemy tar-
gets to track. This gives you a
perfect opportunity to practice
homing In on the target and
locking on the photon torpe-
does (see PHOTON TORPEDOES
In Section 5). Meteors make
good tracking targets because
they never alter course. Sorry,
you do not get kill credits for
zapping meteors.

A

34

13. SCORECARD,

Date

Skill Level Rank and Class

ATARI® STAR RAIDERS

A

ATARI"

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P.O, Box 427, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

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